Erica P.

Why I called a lactation consultant

I initially called for help because Walker (3 months at the time) was always very gassy and uncomfortable, especially at night. I wanted to cover all the bases and rule out any allergies or “obvious” fixes. I suspected that Walker was swallowing air and was also looking for ways to stop that from happening. This was my second breastfed child but I hadn’t had this problem before.

What I got from my visit with LEIF

Mimi visited with us several times. She was able to rule out allergies (a huge relief) and diagnosed Walker with a high palate. She helped me feel like I was doing all the right things, but Walker was still struggling. Mimi was there for us! She called several times, and ended up coming back for another visit when I was so flustered and things weren’t changing. Mimi felt that Walker had a posterior tongue tie and that it was worth checking out with a doctor. Feeling confident that we had a “fix” for the problem, we went to an ENT. He IMMEDIATELY dismissed everything I told him when he saw my son stick his tongue out, saying that he couldn’t possibly have a tongue tie because his tongue could extend past his lip. I left completely devastated and called Mimi right away. Mimi was my biggest and best advocate for my son! She assured me that we were on the right track and called around for me, finding the right Dr for us to get a second opinion.

I fear I would have given up if not for Mimi. We ended up getting Walker’s tongue tie clipped and the relief was immediate and unquestionable. Mimi was caring and kind, and relentless at finding a solution for us!

Where my breastfeeding journey led us

After the tongue tie was released, Walker was instantly more comfortable. We ended up continuing breastfeeding full time until 6 months, at which time we also introduced solids. Walker is now 19 months and still nurses on demand, but is mostly night weaned. Breastfeeding is so important to me and I am so lucky to have had Mimi to guide us. It is a hard journey but it has been so worth it for us!